WWDC

One of iOS 8's rumored features obviously didn't make it to the WWDC event. However, if these series of tweets from app developer Steven Troughton-Smith are accurate, the code for the functionality already exists in iOS 8 SpringBoard, which is the other name that the Home Screen is going with.

WWDC 2014 is over, and while it may not have brought us new hardware, it did give iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite their official reveal, key software launches in Apple’s master plan. As is so often the case, though, the devil is in the details, and in among the developer sessions a picture of context, device ubiquity, and cross-platform identity gradually made itself clear; one which could have huge implications for Apple’s upcoming push into wearables.

CarPlay is coming, and Apple's push to put iOS and Siri in the dashboard could be one of the most significant plays from the Cupertino firm since the iPhone itself. Breaking away from the multitude of different infotainment UIs, CarPlay pushes out a customized iOS interface instead, with familiar apps like Apple Maps, iTunes, and Messages, all controlled by voice. I spent some time in three demo vehicles - Ferrari's eye-widening FF, Chevrolet's latest Spark EV, and a beautiful classic Mustang - to see how CarPlay works.

Apple has detailed how its iOS 8 Controller Forwarding will work, turning an iPhone with a gamepad accessory into a wireless remote for iPad and Mac games. The new feature, which builds on iOS' existing support for third-party gaming controllers, is one of a number of tweaks and improvements to the Game Controller framework, revealed at WWDC 2014 this week.

AirPlay's direct connections aren't the only changes Apple has planned for its streaming system in iOS 8, including how much control and insight accessories get into what's playing. The new version of AirPlay will allow streaming speakers and docks to access the media playback queue, for instance, so as to display what's coming up next on the playlist.

With the announcement of iOS 8, we were all treated to news that third-party keyboards can be used on our various devices. We know the popular SwiftKey is coming, and now we’ve learned at least one more will make an appearance around the time iOS 8 is official. Fleksy, the simplified keyboard, will also be one you can get for iOS 8.

There’s more to breaking down the barriers between desktop and mobile than making the UIs on an iPhone and a MacBook look alike, and Apple used its WWDC 2014 opening keynote to hint at how. Continuity came up several times during the presentation, on both the OS X and the iOS sides, explaining how later this year our Macs and iPhones will work together to transfer tasks as you move between them. Yet the potential for Continuity goes far further than just giving you a bigger keyboard to finish your email on.

As plays for the wearable and fitness space go, iOS 8 HealthKit is ambitiously broad. Apple will initially support logging of over sixty different types of data, from the basics like weight and gender, through step-counts and blood-glucose levels. By leaving the collection to accessory manufacturers - at least initially, anyway - Apple can safely be comprehensive without having to fill each of those gaps itself with dedicated hardware, throwing itself into the center of the argument over privacy versus aggregation.

A small but interesting change is coming to AirPlay. Apple’s streaming service is apparently going p2p, wherein we won’t need a connection to actually make the system work for us. Listed prominently on the Apple website, details are still light.

Apple has redesigned how developers can create apps to suit different screen sizes, orientations, and dimensions, giving the strongest official hint so far at how iOS 8 will pave the way for a bigger iPhone 6 and even split-screen multitasking. The new size classes in iOS 8, detailed in Apple's State of the Union event for developers at WWDC 2014 today, will make creating dynamic and flexible interfaces far more straightforward for app coders.